Best Value Wines: • Israel: High quality, phenomenalbuys for the money from the following wineries:Tabor Winery, Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain

• California:Royal Wine company: The Baron Herzog (not the Reserve because they cost more) wines are excellent; Cabernet and Pinot, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc. Jeunesse is also a bargain.

Hagafen Winery: The Don Ernesto wines are a very good value for the money.

• South America and Europe: Tierra Viejo and Terrenal;Sara Bee has a Muscato that sells for $5.00 at Trader Joe's!

The above wines are ones that you would drink now and enjoy - they are not meant to be keep for long periods of time - drink with a year.

Luxury Wines and a brief description:California:• Hagafen, Cabernet Franc, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley, 2007: Oak-aged for 19 months in French and American barriques and blended with 4% Merlot. Full-bodied, dark royal purple in color, with silky-smooth tannins and sweet-and-spicy cedarwood all in fine balance with acidity and a generous array of red plums, black and red cherries and tobacco. From mid-palate on a tantalizing note of basil. Powerful but elegant and with a finish that goes on and on. Approachable and enjoyable now but best 2012–2019, perhaps longer. $36 Score 92.

• Herzog, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, Alexander Valley, 2008: Deep garnet with a robe of royal purple, full-bodied with generous tannins and spicy oak in fine balance with fruits. On the nose and palate an abundance of blackberries, currants and black cherries, those yielding at one moment to notes of espresso coffee and at another to a hint of bittersweet chocolate. Drink now - 2016. $35. Score 90.

• Covenant, Red C, Napa Valley, 2007: Riper and more fruit-forward than the Covenant. Garnet to royal purple, medium- to full-bodied, with soft tannins integrating nicely to highlight blackberry and black cherry fruits, those on a tantalizing spicy background. Soft and round but with plenty to grab the attention. Drink now – 2013. $45. Score 90.

Israel:• Barkan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Superieur, 2006: A full-bodied blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot aged for 18 months in primarily new French barriques. Dark ruby toward garnet, opens with generous oak and firm tannins, those subsiding in the glass and opening to reveal a light note of vanilla from the wood and then traditional Cabernet blackcurrants and blackberries, those along with notes of blueberries and mint and at what one moment seems to be a hint of lead pencils and another a cigar box note. Well crafted. Drink now – 2013. $55. Score 90.

• Segal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Unfiltered, 2007: Perhaps the best of Segal's unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon releases to date. Dark garnet, full-bodied, with a black fruit and spicy nose, showing firm tannins that yield comfortably in the glass to reveal on first attack blackberries and bitter-sweet chocolate, those followed by notes of red and black currants, those matched nicely by notes of cloves, dill and black olives all lingering nicely on a long and generous finish. Approachable and enjoyable now but best from 2012 - 2017, perhaps longer. $70. Score 92.

• Yatir, Yatir Forest, 2007: Dark garnet toward royal purple, a full-bodied, softly tannic blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Petit Verdot and 7% each of Malbec and Merlot, those reflecting 16 months development in barriques with notes of spicy cedarwood and of roasted almonds. On first attack blackcurrants and blackberries, those making way for purple plums, bittersweet chocolate and licorice. On the long and generous finish tannins and fruits rise comfortably together. Approachable and enjoyable now but best 2012 – 2021. $80. Score 93.